Power Balance of a Hybrid Power Source in a Power Plant for a Small Propulsion Aircraft

• Published in: IEEE transactions on power electronics Vol. 24; no. 12; pp. 2856 - 2866
• Main Authors: Bataller-Planes, Elena, Lapena-Rey, Nieves, Mosquera, Jonay, OrtÍ, Fortunato, Oliver, Jesus Á., GarcÍa, Óscar, Moreno, Felix, Portilla, Jorge, Torroja, Yago, Vasic, Miroslav, Huerta, Santa Concepcion, Trocki, MatÍas, Zumel, Pablo, Cobos, Jose A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.12.2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Aircraft; Aircraft fuels; Aircraft industry; Aircraft propulsion; Applied sciences; Batteries; Battery; Biomembranes; Electric power generation; Electric power plants; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical equipment; Electrical power engineering; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fossil fuels; Fuel cell; Fuel cell vehicles; Fuel cells; Hybrid electric vehicles; hybrid power source; Hybrid power systems; Hybrid vehicles; Miscellaneous; Polymers; power balance; Power electronics; Power electronics, power supplies; Power generation; Power sources; Propulsion; series boost converter (SBC); Simulation; Polymeric membrane; Electric power plant; Power converter; Up converter; Polymer solid electrolyte; power balance; Secondary cell; Power supply; Power electronics; Avionics; Implementation; Regulation(control); series boost converter (SBC); hybrid power source; Electric motor; Aircraft; Propulsion systems; Fuel cell
• ISSN: 0885-8993; 1941-0107
• DOI: 10.1109/TPEL.2009.2022943

This paper analyzes two different architectures for a hybrid power source comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell and a Li ion battery. The hybrid power source feeds the propulsion motor of an all-electrical aircraft, the Boeing Fuel Cell Demonstrator. Unregulated and regulated hybrid power architectures are examined. The regulation is achieved by means of a controllable series boost converter (SBC) connected in series with the fuel cell. Both architectures have been simulated, implemented, and tested in the Boeing Fuel Cell Demonstrator airplane.